Method and apparatus for filtering contaminants

Abstract

A self-contained ventilator includes a housing having a support member for supporting a pollution source. A filter is further disposed in the housing for filtering contaminants emitted from the pollution source. A conduit is adapted to connect to the housing to provide non-housing communication between portions of the housing. A fan is situated in the conduit to generate an airflow that follows a path through the housing, through the conduit, and back to the housing. The airflow entrains the contaminants such that the contaminants are captured by the filter upon passage of the airflow through the filter.

1. A self-contained ventilator, comprising:
 a housing having a support member for supporting a pollution source and a filter vertically spaced below the support member for filtering contaminants emitted from the pollution source, the filter and a lower portion of the housing defining a first converging room, the housing also having a distributor vertically spaced above the support member, wherein the distributor comprises a plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough; 
 a conduit connecting the first converging room to an upper portion of the housing such that a flow path is defined through the housing and conduit; and 
 a fan for generating an airflow that follows the flow path. 
 
     
     
       2. The ventilator of  claim 1  wherein the support member is a grid. 
     
     
       3. The ventilator of  claim 1  wherein the filter is an active carbon filter. 
     
     
       4. The ventilator of  claim 1  wherein the pollution source is a wafer processing kit having undergone semiconductor manufacturing processes. 
     
     
       5. The ventilator of  claim 1  wherein the distributor and an upper portion of the housing cooperate to define a diverging room. 
     
     
       6. The ventilator of  claim 5  wherein the distributor and the support member cooperate to define a compartment. 
     
     
       7. The ventilator of  claim 6  wherein the support member, the filter, and a lower portion of the housing cooperate to define a second converging room. 
     
     
       8. The ventilator of  claim 7  wherein the diverging room, the distributor, the compartment, the support member, the second converging room, the filter, the first converging room, and the conduit are arranged to direct the flow path from the diverging room, through the distributor, through the compartment, through the support member, through the second converging room, through the filter, through the first converging room, through the conduit, and back to the diverging room. 
     
     
       9. The ventilator of  claim 1  further comprising at least one wheel connected thereto for providing the ventilator with mobility. 
     
     
       10. The ventilator of  claim 1  further comprising a door for providing access to the interior of the housing. 
     
     
       11. The ventilator of  claim 10  wherein the door includes a peripheral rubber magnet for adhering the door to the housing when the door is in a closed position. 
     
     
       12. The ventilator of  claim 1  wherein the fan is configured to generate airflow that entrains the contaminants to exhaust the contaminants into the filter. 
     
     
       13. A ventilator for filtering contaminants introduced from a wafer processing system, the ventilator comprising:
 a housing separable from the wafer processing system for receiving and storing one or more wafers, wherein the one or more wafers forms a pollution source; 
 a distributor positioned inside the housing above the pollution source, the distributor comprising a plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough; 
 a filter positioned inside the housing below the pollution source and disposed to filter contaminants emitted from the pollution source; 
 a conduit connected to the housing and configured to direct airflow from adjacent the filter to a top portion of the housing; and 
 an airflow generator for providing an airflow along a closed-loop flow path defined through the housing, the conduit, and the filter. 
 
     
     
       14. The ventilator of  claim 13  further comprising:
 a moving structure so that the ventilator can be moved from the wafer processing system to another wafer processing system while the airflow generator provides the airflow along the closed-loop flow path. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for filtering contaminants, comprising:
 providing a movable housing for storing one or more semiconductor wafers, the housing having a filter and a distributor disposed therein, the distributor comprising a plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough; 
 providing a conduit connecting a portion of the housing to another portion of the housing, the conduit being arranged to direct airflow from adjacent the filter to a top portion of the housing; and 
 generating an airflow that follows a flow path defined through the distributor, past the wafers, through the filter, and through the conduit such that the airflow entrains contaminants within the housing to filter the contaminants when passing through the filter. 
 
     
     
       16. A method for filtering contaminants emitted from a pollution source, comprising:
 providing a self-contained housing having a support member, a filter, and a distributor disposed interiorly therein, the distributor comprising a plate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, the filter being vertically spaced below the support member and the distributor being vertically spaced above the support member; 
 providing a conduit connecting a portion of the housing to another portion of the housing such that a flow path is defined through the housing and the conduit, the conduit being arranged to direct airflow from adjacent the filter to a top portion of the housing; 
 placing the pollution source on the support member; 
 isolating the interior of the housing from an area surrounding the housing; 
 generating an airflow that follows the flow path such that the airflow entrains the contaminants emitted from the pollution source and filters the contaminants when passing through the filter. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 moving the self-contained housing from a first processing operation position to a second processing operation position.